Sports notebook

Published 6:30 am, Friday, January 9, 2004

BOXING Palomino heads Hall of Fame class

--
Carlos Palomino,
who won the WBC welterweight crown in 1976 and successfully defended it seven times, heads the 2004 class that was announced for the the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Thursday. The induction class also includes featherweight
Azumah Nelson
of Ghana, light heavyweight
Dwight Muhammad Qawi
of the United States and bantamweight
Daniel Zaragoza
of Mexico.

Trinidad talks of return

-- Former five-time champion
Felix Trinidad
may be making plans for a comeback -- or at least promoter
Don King
hopes so. Trinidad, 30, reportedly told King last month that he wanted to come out of retirement, though nothing has been said officially.

OLYMPICS IOC vice president resigns two posts

-- International Olympic Committee vice president

Kim Un-yong
resigned as a national lawmaker in South Korea and as world taekwondo chief. Kim has been questioned by South Korean prosecutors about allegations he collected illicit money from former South Korean Olympic officials and embezzled funds from taekwondo organizations.

SOCCER Armas gets extension

-- Midfielder
Chris Armas,
who helped lead the
Chicago Fire
to the MLS championship game, received a multiyear contract extension. Details of the contract were not disclosed, but Armas said the deal is filled with incentives. Armas, 31, said he received some interest from teams in the Premier League in Europe, mostly from Bolton and Wolverhampton.

Bocanegra eyes Premier League

-- Carlos
Bocanegra
, a defender on the U.S. national team, is expected to sign with Premier League club Fulham after receiving an English work permit, the

Gadhafi's son suspended

--
Moammar Gadhafi's
son
Saadi
was suspended for three months by Italy's soccer league for failing a drug test. The son of the Libyan leader was temporarily suspended in November after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing steroid norandrosterone at a game in October.

HORSE RACING Funny Cide entered

-- Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide could make his 4-year-old debut in a seven furlong race at Gulfstream Park. Funny Cide was entered in a $46,000 allowance/optional claiming race on Saturday's card. A field of seven was entered, with Funny Cide racing under allowance conditions. The race would serve as a tuneup for the $500,000 Donn Handicap, at 1 miles, on Feb. 7.

Magnificent Val wins

-- Magnificent Val moved to the front early, then held off long shot Drew Away in the stretch to win the $60,000 allowance feature on the turf at Santa Anita. Magnificent Val, ridden by
Gary Stevens
, finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Drew Away in the 1-mile race for older fillies and mares.

CYCLING Armstrong to race in Portugal

-- Five-time
Tour de France
champion
Lance Armstrong
will participate in the Tour of the Algarve next month. Armstrong, who will go for a record sixth straight Tour de France victory this summer, will lead his
U.S. Postal Service
team in the five-day event in southern Portugal that begins Feb. 18.

WINTER SPORTS Randall, Zimmerman prevail

-- Olympian
Kikkan Randall
and unheralded
Leif Zimmerman
braved frigid cold in Rumford, Maine, to win the 1-kilometer freestyle sprint titles at the U.S. Cross Country Championships. Subzero temperatures forced officials to delay the start of qualifying; it was 4 degrees when the races got under way at Black Mountain.

DEATHS San Antonio coach Lander

--
Harry Lander
, a longtime high school coach in San Antonio, died Wednesday. He was 71. Lander coached at Burbank, Kennedy and Roosevelt in San Antonio and also worked for the San Antonio Gunslingers of the defunct USFL.